


Candy Man

by joshaadun



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Character Death, M/M, Sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-14
Updated: 2016-07-14
Packaged: 2018-07-23 21:59:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7481511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joshaadun/pseuds/joshaadun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Tyler doesn't mean to do Josh harm</p>
            </blockquote>





	Candy Man

**Author's Note:**

> Heyo! This is my first book on this site as i usually write on Wattpad. Hope you enjoy.  
> This oneshot is based off of an edit i made

Soft moonlight caressing skin, eye lashes bating against the cheek bones on the face of trouble and red wine lips pout in concentration.

It's five am; moon shinning, bird singing, work waking five am and Tyler's naked.

With sore eyes and messy hair this boy's body is a two star hotel, a kitchen with no sink, a forest minus the trees. With birdsong hands and pebble feet he pulls himself over the fence to his neighbor's yard, an empty invitation sure, but the pool looks hypnotizing and if Tyler stares for too long he might fall from his window and drown.

Slowly he dips one foot and cold water rushes up his skin like a shock wave from a treatment center, an all too familiar feeling. His eyes widen, his doey milk chocolate eyes that are just above his button nose and ruby cheeks.

Ah, the picture of beauty, serenity, trouble and temptation. The perfect trap, waiting for its prey to trip into its claws.

Ice water now covers his entire body as he floats on his back, a talent he learned many years ago when he closed his eyes and reminded himself that he was nothing. Not a person, and if he was he'd be someone who deserves little to none, someone so nonexistent that water doesn't want to hold his weight.

Weight? Not a problem. Problem kids like Tyler don't eat. They fast and live by the book, they stand by every stereotype a depressed lunatic should. Somebody should slap a gold star on this kids forehead he deserves a fucking metal.

"You're in my pool, like naked." Tyler's doe eyes open to rock hard ones. Frizzy hair and broad shoulders- ah, teenage beauty in his natural habitat.

Mhm prince charming and no Cinderella this boy looks like dessert after not enough diner, sweet like candy but too much of a man. This boy has perfect teeth, white and bright and blinding and Tyler wants to touch them, to feel perfection because god knows it's unfamiliar to him.

"It's five am." Candy Man speaks up again and Tyler knows but he wouldn't mind playing dumb just to hear his voice again.

No not hear, taste. He wants to swallow every word, lick each syllable clean and then force it back between those perfect teeth. Jawline. His mother's knife set, a familiar trio, would be jealous and Tyler wants to cut his lips on it.

"How many times a day do you say the word I?" Self-centered or selfless, a question in a question- no true answer. Candy Man is confused.

"I don't know? Listen my parents will call the cops if they find you. Go home." Pretty boy doesn't say please. Tyler hates when boys don't say please, it sounds nasty and cold and Tyler bets that during any hour after five am Candy Man's tongue is a warm blanket.

Tyler's cold. Candy Man looks so warm to touch...

"I'm going to call the cops myself." Distant. This boy is distant as he stands up from his crouched position, his buff calf's straining and his thighs tightening.

"Fine." With weak frostbitten arms Tyler pulls himself from the pool. Candy Man looks him up and down.

"You're blue." He states and Tyler opens his mouth to breathe the air he just released, then he answers.

"Always am." Candy Man, still confused, wraps a towel around Tyler's body.

He's a magician Tyler thinks.

"Where do you live?"

"In a world full of hatred and violence." Candy man rolls his eyes before studying Tyler's face. After a moment he puts his hand out.

"I'm Josh." Josh tastes good on blue boys tongue when he imagines saying it.

"Tyler Joseph." His towel falls when he moves to return the gesture and Josh looks up despite already seeing everything there is to offer. Tyler picks the towel up.

"Are you going to tell me where you live?"

"I just told you."

"I meant a street address." Tyler cocks his head to the side in confusion.

"Street address?" His doe eyes travel to his house then back to Josh. He's invisible. Josh is a sunset painted neon.

"Yeah." Without another word Tyler walks away, climbing the fence and heading towards his house, keeping the towel and a frown, both given to him by broad chested Josh.

Josh sounds foreign but familiar. A song only played once, being kissed too many times by too many people and not remembering the first.

Tyler doesn't sleep that night and when Josh wakes up the next morning he sees his towel hanging on the fence right by the pool.

Sun shines through the window next to Tyler's bed, leaving a harsh sunburn on previously unmarked skin. His parents are fighting downstairs, words traveling through the walls and branding themselves on Tyler's skin much like the burn.

Every word in the book is screamed and Tyler finds himself laughing. Why on earth would they stay together if they hate each other? As funny as it is it makes Tyler mad. They're ruining the image of love, ruining the one thing that makes Tyler think maybe everything's worth it.

Angrily he climbs out if his window, using the vines on the wall to find his way to the ground. He paces, muttering words incoherent but coherent.

"Why are they like this...can't they see I'm here...ndjnsf...I hate them...I hate myself." Tyler doesn't notice the presence lingering on the other side of the fence until he speaks up.

"Um, are you alright?" Candy man. Oh.

"What's it to you?" Josh's eyes widen.

"I-I was just curious." Tyler sighs.

"Sorry."

"Don't apologize." But Tyler's always apologizing, always. "Wanna swim?" Josh's eyes are still curious and hard and maybe they don't soften but that's okay.

"Sure." Tyler clampers over the fence before stopping in his tracks. "Wait I don't have swim trunks with me." Josh's eyes widen before he laughs.

"Nothing I haven't seen before, just swim in your briefs dude. No one's watching anyway." Dude, what is he a surfer? Tyler bets he looks good surfing.

Five minutes later both boys are bobbing in the water. Tyler stares at Josh. His nose poking out from under the water, his frizzy hair damp and his eyes watching the waves.

He wonders why his mother named him Josh. By looks? Is it a family name? Was her husband late to the birth and out of spite she used the name he hated most? Tyler finds that thought funny.

"What's so funny?" Josh asks.

"Your name."

"My name? What's wrong with my name?" Sobering up from his fit of giggles Tyler shrugs, focusing his eyes on his hands as they push the water around.

"Nothing, it's quite pretty actually. Josh, j o s h. I wonder who invented that name and if they ever imagined it'd belong to a boy like you."

Josh seems to be speechless, his hard eyes focused intently on Tyler as if he can see every word that leaves his mouth. Can he? Does Josh have special eyes given by a mythical creature in exchange for his soul?

"A boy like me?" Josh has a lot of questions for a boy with no soul.

"Why did you invite me to swim?" Josh seems thoughtful for a second before he sighs.

"I heard them fighting. Thought you could use a distraction." Tyler's cheeks glow crimson.

"S-sorry."

"Stop apologizing for things that aren't your fault." His blush reaches his ears.

"Okay I will." It's silent. Well not silent as the water is slapping against the concrete and the birds in the trees are chirping but Josh is silent so the world seems to be to.

Twenty minutes later Tyler sighs. Sometimes if he's quiet for too long he feels like he's choking.

"I need to get home." He says and Josh nods.

"Okay." He pulls himself from the pool and as he's about to climb the fence he looks back.

Tracing his eyes over Josh's form; broad shoulders, warm tongue, Candy Man. Then he's gone.

Five am has never held so many opportunities as it has now that Josh and Tyler are acquainted. Even as he doesn't know if Josh is okay with it Tyler scales the fence once again, letting his feet dangle in the water, his basketball shorts and t-shirt there to protect him if someone does find him again.

That someone does.

Its five twenty three when Josh comes stumbling out of his back door. His eyes are tired and his hair is an obvious mess but as he plops down opposite Tyler he seems to wake up.

They stare at each other across the pool and Tyler takes note of the waters reflection against Josh's skin.

"Tyler." Josh finally greets and with a blush Tyler looks to his feet.

"Josh." He decides that it does, Josh's name does taste good on his tongue.

"Fancy seeing you here."

"Seems as if you were expecting me." It's Josh's turn to blush as he shrugs.

"Maybe."

"Maybe." Tyler hates the word maybe. The uncertainty, the risk, the rejection and pain that could follow a word that has little to know balance. A tipping scale between yes and no.

"Can I ask you a question?" Josh can do whatever he wants, Tyler thinks.

"Shoot."

"Why were your parents fighting?" This should have struck a nerve, should have sent Tyler on a quest to change the subject but instead he just sighs.

"Because of me. My anxiety, my depression, my anger. They blame each other for their screw up of a son." Josh doesn't make an attempt to comfort him or give him looks of pity, instead he licks his lips and frowns.

"But none of that is you though. Sure it's your conditions but those things aren't all there is to Tyler Joseph, surely." Not once has someone implied this. Not once has a person other than Josh made Tyler feel like more than just a side effect.

"I guess not." He says with a small smile that Josh doesn't return.

"So tell me, what is there to Tyler Joseph?" Tyler looks thoughtful as he watches his feet move through the water.

"I like to sing, and write, and cry. All hobbies of mine." Josh laughs.

"I'm sure you're great at all of them." Tyler finds himself giggling too.

"What about you hm? What is there to Josh, err,"

"Dun. Josh Dun."

"Dun. I like it." Josh blushes before clearing his throat.

"Well, I love cats. Like I love them a lot. And I play drums and the trumpet which is a real catch." Tyler giggles again.

"What about your parents?"

"W-what about em?"

"Well, are they sweet? Are they nice?" Josh looks extremely uncomfortable so Tyler tries his hardest to lessen the tension. "I'm just curious. You see I have this book in my head where I catalog all of the people I encounter in hopes that one day when the aliens come to abduct me they'll think I have several people living inside of my brain and will leave me alone." Josh stares back at him wide eyed.

"Uh..."

"I'm kidding." Tyler says quickly and Josh sighs in relief.

"Good because that's weird as fuck."

"Aka me." They both laugh.

"You're not half bad." Josh says after they sober up and Tyler looks away with a wrinkled nose.

"Gee thanks. You're a real charmer Josh." Josh shrugs.

"I try."

They don't talk again until the next morning at five am, and the next, and the next and soon it's been a week and Tyler is obsessed and Josh is confused.

Tyler is different, obviously different and maybe that's what makes him so attractive, so addicting. Josh isn't gay, he likes girls very much, but Tyler seems to be an exception to every rule he has.

And that's what coaxed him to climb the side of Tyler's house at four fifty-eight am, meeting him at the window as he's about to climb out.

"Josh? What the hell are you doing?" Tyler smiles sheepishly at the red haired boy.

"I'm climbing. Mind moving out of my way?" He does and once Josh is standing inside of his bedroom he dusts his clothes off. "Thought my pool could use a break."

He walks around Tyler's room, taking in the band posters and the notebooks staked high on the computer desk.

"Is this the band you were talking about the other day?" He asks, pointing to the Panic! At The Disco poster over his bed that's made sloppily.

"Y-yeah."

"Nice." He plops down onto the sheets with a sigh. "I'm exhausted. Schools got me beat, you're lucky you get to homeschool." Tyler laughs bitterly, laying down next to Josh on his bed.

"Yeah, lucky."

"What you don't like it?" He shrugs.

"I don't know...It's boring. I don't have anyone to talk to."

"You have me." Josh prompts and to that Tyler turns to look at him, their noses brushing.

"Josh?"

"Yeah?" His lips look soft and sugary but he doesn't dare move.

"Have you ever...Have you ever kissed a boy before?" He audibly swallows, releasing a shaky breath that Tyler gladly accepts between his own lips.

"No. Have you?"

"Once, in a dream." Josh's eyes trail from Tyler's lips to his eyes.

"Can I make that dream a reality?" With a hesitant nod from Tyler Josh leans up on his right elbow, his left fist resting on the other side of Tyler's body as he leans in. He stops just before they make contact.

"Tyler, you're breathing really heavy."

"Oh sorry."

"Stop apologizing."

"Right okay."

Then he closes the gap, their lips touching like dynamite to a flame.

Tyler's on fire. Josh tastes like everything he dreamed of, his tongue resting on the roof of his mouth like it belongs there, weakening every bone in Tyler's body.

One of Josh's callused hands claps Tyler's soft one, his other finding Josh's frizzy hair.

Not once has he thought he'd get this, not once did he dream a dream that'd become a reality.

He can feel one of Josh's converse slide against his vans, his lips moving to the line of his jaw.

Tyler's floating and it's not the weightless kind, not the kind that reminds him of the bad but covers him in good.

He's being bathed in Josh. His scent, his taste, his warmth, his body. Stars dance between the their lips, swapping sides alongside their saliva.

When the pad of Josh's thumb brushes against Tyler's he can feel every line, every indention so clearly he could copy his finger print in the blink of an eye.

The fabric of Josh's Misfits shirt runs against Tyler's skin were his own T rode up, the trail under his belly button ticking against the cotton.

Josh pulls away licking his lips, his eyes hard and his chest rising and falling like the sun.

"How was that?" He sounds nervous and Tyler wonders how Josh can think anything that originates from him can be anything less than perfection.

"Wonderful, Candy Man." The nickname slips out before Tyler's tongue can catch it and Josh's hard eyes narrow.

"Candy Man?"

"Uh,,, Yeah."

"I'm not gonna ask." He says with a laugh, letting his body fall next to Tyler's.

"Thanks." They stare at Tyler's ceiling like they're stare gazing.

Slowly but surely Tyler let's his hand travel to Josh's leg.

He doesn't want to initiate anything or try to go further with the boy, but after that first day at the pool all Tyler's wanted to do was explore.

Does his heart beat faster when he's nervous? Are his hand abnormally cold or abnormally hot? How many times a day does he say the word I?"

"Uh Tyler? What are you doing?" Tyler's hand freezes where it's playing with the fine hairs under Josh's belly button.

"Exploring."

Josh doesn't speak again, he just sighs and fixes his gaze back on the ceiling.

Tyler turns to his side and let's his hand press against random places on his chest, a broad chest indeed before tracing his fingertips over his Adam's apple.

It bobs, moving under his touch. Interesting.

Tyler wonders if that is a sign that Josh is nervous or if it's natural for boys with looks like his.

Next his rubs his thumb over Josh's lips, pulling at them and memorizing the feel and the look.

His nose- the single most precious thing to of been made. A silver nose ring hooped through the skin, soft delicate milky white sprinkled under the lightest of freckles.

Tyler then focuses on Josh's eyes. Hard brown with tiny flecks of black, his lashes thick and dark and so enticing.

And he wants to move onto his brows, to memorize them and feel each individual hair but Josh is staring back at him with an unreadable look in his eyes and his hands, calloused man griping, heart wrenching hands, are resting themselves on Tyler's waist.

"Hi." Josh whispers and Tyler blushes but doesn't smile.

"Hello."

And that's how Josh Dun spent the night in Tyler Josephs room. That's how a relationship formed over the next two weeks, how Josh sent Tyler down a path of self assurance and Tyler sent Josh down one of doubt and fear.

Five am, a lonely hour for most but as Tyler climbs out of his window with a grin and shaky hands he looks forward to it.

"Hi." Josh says from were he's already waiting at the pool as Tyler climbs the fence.

"Hi." Is Tyler's reply as he lands safely and sits next his friend- boyfriend, boy that's his friend but kisses him breathless when the times right.

"I heard your parents again today, how are you?" Tyler wants to know what all he heard.

"What did he hear?" Josh looks to the water that hugs their feet.

"Everything."

Tyler closes his eyes, his mind returning to the words spoken.

"He's your son! I don't want to deal with his shit anymore!"

"Please, your his mother and you're supposed to love him no matter what!"

"And is that what you're doing hm?"

"I'm his father I don't have to be nice!"

Tyler doesn't know he's in Josh's arms until a soft kiss is set on the crown of his head. He's surprised really, Josh has never shown pity before.

Sure sometimes he'll comfort him in times of need but he's never offered pity. Tyler kind of likes it.

"T-thanks." He says, his eyes zoned out on the water. "You know...I wouldn't mind jumping in and never coming back up."

Josh's movements, soft rubbing circles on Tyles back, stop. Shortly after they pick back up.

"Oh?"

"Mhm."

"Wouldn't that hurt though? Like a lot?" Tyler shrugs.

"I hurt anyways." Josh nods.

"True." He doesn't ask him not to. He doesn't tell Tyler it's a shit idea and that he needs him because he'd be okay without him, but Tyler doesn't want him to anyways.

Josh's heart wrenching hands rub the knots out of Tyler's back, his cherry lips rest all over his body, his straining calfs and tightening thighs hold Tyler between them.

Tyler can't help but feel that Josh is a warm blanket. The sound of passing cars and learning to grow up.

Josh is swimming in ice, shaky lips purple and blue, numb fingers and the word maybe.

A tipping scale between yes and no.

"Josh!" A sudden yell comes from the back door and Josh practically shoves Tyler away.

"Y-yes?"

"What the hell are you doing?" Josh looks between the crude looking man and Tyler before shrugging. 

"Chillin. With a friend." The man sighs.

"Get your ass inside." Josh stands quickly, stumbling over is feet and avoiding Tyler at all costs. As soon as he's inside the man narrows his eyes.

"Get off my property." Tyler has never run faster.

It's the next day and his parents are screaming but nothing's new.

Tyler's laying in his bed, his ankles crossed and his hands folded on his stomach. He can't get the image of Josh's father out of his head.

He looked gruesome. His face looked like a million mountain lions fighting over a single lamb, his eyes were black tar pits and his mouth a door that accompanied his tongue- a path to hell.

His hands looked like sledge hammers and Tyler tried not to imagine them beating against Joshs heaven sent skin.

The thought makes Tyler boil with rage but he doubts it actually happens. Josh has never said anything bout an abusive father and he's never seen any marks.

"Sorry about that." Josh says later that morning when he's in Tyler's room.

"It's okay."

"He's just...protective."

"I understand." Tyler doesn't understand.

"Would you mind...would you mind holding me?" Eyes have never been more wide on the face of Tyler Joseph as they have been now. He nods.

Josh slumps into Tyler's arms like dead weight, his face hurrying into Tyler's neck and his body pressed to his.

He's searching comfort and Tyler's terrified.

Ten minutes later a scream can be heard from next door.

"Joshua Dun, get your ass home!"

Josh sighs, his breath running along the skin of Tyler's neck forcing his hands to clench Josh's shirt and his weak arms to protest when he pulls away.

"I should go."

"O-okay." He's almost out of the door when he looks back at Tyler, studying him, the room and then him again.

He seems regretful as he swings his leg over the ledge.

"Bye." This time bye seems like more than just a temporary thing.

"...Bye."

Josh doesn't come out of his house for three days and Tyler only worries a little.

It's around lunch the next day that Tyler finds himself sitting in his back yard in black skinnies, typical Tyler and his typical pants, and a purple tank.

His hands run over the grass, his feet kick at the flowers.

His mind comes up with reasons for why cars need gasoline to run and why clouds don't taste like cotton candy when you reach them.

A scream rings through the air and Tyler ignores it.

How many times a day does a person say I?  
What two colors make another? How many planes fly over Tyler's head in average for a year and how many should of fallen from the sky?

Another scream. The difference is that this ones familiar.

Candy Man...Candy Mans voice like a shock wave from a treatment center...familiar.

Slowly Tyler raises to his feet, a constant steady of "please stops" and "you're hurting me"s filling the air.

He climbs the fence, the air around him feels like a dream as he follows Josh's voice to the garage. The door is barely open but Tyler doesn't try to act discreet, he pulls it open and steps in like he owns the place.

There's a table to his left, a chainsaw a top it surrounded by little bolts, supporting characters to a big role.

The floor is covered in stains and saw dust and there's a have finished door leaning against the wall to his right.

The room smells musky and old and as he looks forwards his eyes widen.

Hammer hands are slamming down on teenage beauty.

Warm blanket tongue not so tasty with blood seeping onto it.

Josh's heart wrenching hands are clenched in front of him, his back arched skillfully. His frizzy hair is matted with blood and sweat and as mountain lion face sizes him up he swings again.

Josh sobs.

His converse are sliding against the concrete in an attempt to get away, his cherry lips busted and sore.

Mr. Dun kicks Josh's head into the ground, making the boy swoon, his eyes closing for a couple of seconds before they open and look around wildly. He's momentarily pasted out, escaped the pain for a pitiful second.

Tyler isn't able move. His feet are rooted to the floor, his shaky hands are finally still, his sore eyes are infatuated with the deep red that seeps from every area of Josh's body, heaven sent skin torn and abused.

Josh makes one more weak attempt to move away and Hammer Hands grab his frizzy hair, pulling his head up. He finally notices Tyler's presence and as he gulps down saliva he stares back at him in agony.

And for once, Josh's eyes are soft.

With one last kick Hammer Hands sends Candy Man into a spiral of death.

Soft skin angel, teenage beauty, princess-less Prince Charming, sweet tongue, five am kissing baby boy; all gone.

And Tyler stops breathing at an unwelcoming thought.

All of this time, every night for the last couple of weeks when Tyler was convinced Josh was anything but pitying, he was pitying. How blind does a boy have to be to not notice bruises and marks, jumpy behavior and...scared eyes.

They had never been hard, they had been scared and Tyler guesses he's always been bad at reading things right.

Tyler feels like somehow this is all his fault, that even if he didn't mean to, he caused Josh trouble.

And as Hammer Hands looks up to him with murder in his black tar eyes his last thought is that he didn't mean to do Josh harm.

**Author's Note:**

> so yaaaa, hope you liked it! I might put my other works on here as well but i'm not quite sure. Thanks for reading.


End file.
